CFR

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

-Afghan official slain.
-Iran calls for negotiations.
-Bloodiest month for Iraq.
-Qaddafi celebrates coup anniversary.

Top of the Agenda: Assassination in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber assassinated Afghanistan's second-ranking official (Quqnoos) in the country’s intelligence service, and killed at least twenty-four others, in Mehterlam, the capital of the eastern province of Laghman. A spokesperson for the Taliban said the group had long targeted Abdullah Laghmani (NYT), the deputy director of the National Directorate for Security, claiming Laghmani had illegally detained and jailed many people.

An ethnic Tajik heads the National Directorate for Security. The assassination of Laghmani, a Pashtun, could enflame ethnic tensions that are already running high due to the electoral battle between Pashtun incumbent President Hamid Karzai and opposition candidate Abdullah Abdullah, a Tajik, the Associated Press notes.

Analysis

The Washington Post says insurgents in Afghanistan have improved tactically by finding points of weakness in the U.S. military strategy.

On FP Passport, John Nagl, Christian Brose, Peter Feaver, and David Rothkopf debate George Will's Washington Post column calling for a withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In TIME, Brookings's Michael O'Hanlon says fighting the war from "offshore," as Will suggested in his column, would lead to the collapse of the Afghan state. CFR's Stephen Biddle says relying heavily on drone attacks is a flawed strategy, as they can easily be shot down by even a "third-rate air force."

A CFR Daily Analysis Brief compares expert opinions on Gen. Stanley McChrystal's review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

Background
The New York Times reports that civilian contractors working for the Pentagon in Afghanistan outnumber uniformed troops, and says Afghanistan has the highest ratio of contractors to military personnel of any war in U.S. history.

A CFR Backgrounder looks at the Taliban in Afghanistan.

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Taliban Deaths in Pakistan

Pakistani officials say at least forty-one people, mostly Taliban militants, have been found dead in apparent revenge killings (Dawn) by residents of the Swat valley. The corpses, at least six of which were beheaded, were found by roadsides and fields in the region.

MIDEAST: Iran's Nuclear Proposals

Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the country is willing to resume international negotiations on its nuclear program, and said it has updated a package of proposals (LAT) which was presented to the West last year. Representatives of the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China are meeting today in Germany to discuss next steps in dealing with Iran.

Iraq: The Iraqi government says August was the deadliest month (VOA) in over a year for Iraqi civilians. More than 450 Iraqis people were killed and more than 1,500 were wounded, according to Iraqi government figures.

In an interview with CFR, veteran reporter Jane Arraf says the United States may have to take a new look at the policy of leaving security under Iraqi control in urban centers.

Gaza: Hamas said two of its fighters were killed near the Gaza border (Jewish Telegraphic Agency). It was not immediately clear whether the men were killed by Israeli shelling or by a bomb they were attempting to plant at the border fence.

PACIFIC RIM: Abu Sayyaf Suspect Arrested

Hajer Sailani, a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf militant group, was arrested (Philippine Star) in the kidnappings of at least four Americans and dozens of Filipinos in 2000 and 2001. Philippine police last week arrested another alleged Abu Sayyaf member, accused of robbery and murder.

CFR profiles Abu Sayyaf in this Backgrounder.

Fiji: Fiji will likely be suspended from the Commonwealth group of nations over its refusal to agree to hold elections in 2010 (Fiji Times). Instead, Fiji's army commander says the country will hold polls sometime before September 2014.

AMERICAS: Warrants for Pinochet's Secret Police

A Chilean judge issued arrest warrants (AP) for 129 former members of General Augusto Pinochet's secret police agency, DINA. The suspects are accused of participating in the thousands of killings and disappearances of critics of the regime during Pinochet's 1973-1990 rule.

Term Limits: Global Post looks at an emerging trend in which Latin American leaders seek to prolong their respective countries' term limits.

AFRICA: Qaddafi's Anniversary

Libya kicked off a week of festivities (Guardian) to celebrate forty years since the Colonel Muammar Qaddafi came to power in a coup. Several African and Arab leaders will attend the celebrations, but Western leaders will not be present.

Chad: Militants in Chad have released a Medecins Sans Frontieres aid worker (BBC) they kidnapped last month during a robbery. It was not clear who was responsible for the abduction.

EUROPE: WWII Commemoration

Foreign leaders from twenty countries, including Germany and Russia, gathered in Westerplatte, Poland to mark the seventieth anniversary (Deutsche Welle) of the beginning of World War II. The War began when a Nazi battleship opened fire on a Polish fort in Westerplatte in 1939.

Climate: The twenty-seven European Union countries phased out traditional light bulbs (NPR), replacing them with halogen, fluorescent and LED bulbs as part of the EU plan to cut 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

Refugees: The European Commission will allow more refugees (BBC) fleeing humanitarian crises into European countries. The initiative is meant to curb the flow of illegal immigrants entering EU countries, primarily from Africa, by offering more opportunities to enter legally.

TRANSNATIONAL: 'World Climate Bank'

Scientists from the German Advisory Council on Global Change are proposing the creation of a "world climate bank" (Deutsche Welle) that would allow industrialized nations to buy the rights to emit carbon from developing nations, which could in turn use revenues for development projects.

This Thursday CFR and Politico.com will co-host a live chat with CFR Senior Fellow Edward Alden on the Independent Task Force on U.S. Immigration policy he recently directed.

The live chat is open to all and will take place from 12:00pm until 1:00pm ET. To participate, visit https://www.politico.com/arena/ shortly before noon to register and submit your question.